Press
Please direct all media inquiries to arc@pen.org, +1.646.981.0688
May 23, 2024
(NEW YORK) - Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and Art at a Time Like This (ATLT) are joining forces to host the Dangerous Art, Endangered Artists event series on June 7 and 8, a continuation of its May 10th launch at the Independent Art Fair. This latest summit will focus on artistic freedom at BRIC, in Brooklyn with a convening of artists, activists, performers, and writers from around the world to examine the complex issue of censorship from a wide range of perspectives.
Read our full release here.
May 9, 2024
PEN International, Cuban Writers in Exile PEN Centre, and Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) express deep concern over the increasing use of arbitrary detentions, threats, and summonses by Cuban authorities against dissident writers, journalists, and artists. This includes threatening statements made by Cuban authorities and public officials in April, warning of potential criminal sanctions for individuals involved in mass protests, including lengthy prison sentences and the death penalty, echoing concerns raised by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This escalation in the persecution of members of the artistic sector coincides with significant protests in March by Cuban citizens demanding improved economic and living conditions.
Read our full statement here.
April 26, 2024
(NEW YORK) – Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), PEN America, and Index on Censorship strongly condemn the death sentence imposed on Iranian rapper and human rights defender Toomaj Salehi for “spreading corruption on Earth” issued by a revolutionary court in Tehran on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Salehi now faces possible execution, as his lawyer plans to appeal the sentence.
Read our full statement here.
Iranian Cartoonist Detained for Trying to Post a Cartoon on a Wall Next to Presidential Palace
April 22, 2024
(NEW YORK) - Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), PEN America, Cartooning for Peace, Cartoonists Rights, and the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation condemn the violent arrest of Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani and call for her immediate release from Evin prison. Farghadani was arrested by intelligence agents from the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) on April 13, 2024, while attempting to post one of her drawings on the Pasteur Avenue wall, where the presidential palace is located. According to her lawyer, she suffered severe mistreatment during her arrest, leaving visible scarring on her face.
Read the full statement here.
ARC Deeply Concerned for Artists’ Rights and Freedom of Expression in Russia
March 20, 2024
(NEW YORK) - In the run-up to the three-day election that secured Vladimir Putin a fifth term as Russia’s president, the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) raided the homes and studios of more than 30 artists across the country. ARC is very disturbed by this unwarranted intervention and deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of these artists and others across Russia, whose right to free expression is relentlessly being suppressed.
Read the full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Harsh Sentencing of Grammy-Winning Iranian Singer
March 1, 2024
(NEW YORK) - PEN America strongly condemns the sentencing of Grammy-winning Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour to three years and eight months in prison, followed by a two-year travel ban. PEN America calls for Hajipour’s immediate release, his sentence quashed, and his record cleared of all charges.
Read our full statement.
Art and Culture in Ukraine on the Second Anniversary of Russia's Full-Scale Invasion
February 24, 2024
(NEW YORK) – Today marks the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. PEN America’s Freedom to Writer Center (FTWC) and Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) remain firmly committed to supporting Ukrainian artists, writers, and other culture professionals.
Read our full statement.
Pen America Condemns Detention of Iranian Dissident Rapper Vafa Ahmadpour
February 6, 2024
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Iranian rapper Vafa Ahmadpour and calls for his immediate release.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Partners with Ukraine National Pavilion for Venice Biennale
January 25, 2024
(NEW YORK) - PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) proudly announces its collaboration with the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition opens to the public on April 20 and runs until November 24.
Read our full release.
PEN America Publishes Safety Guide for Russian-Speaking Artists at Risk
January 17, 2024
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) released the highly anticipated Russian translation of its Safety Guide for Artists today. First issued in English, French, and Spanish in 2021, the Safety Guide helps artists at risk navigate, counter, and overcome threats and persecution from those seeking to silence them. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ARC has witnessed a momentous surge in applications for assistance from Russian and Belarusian artists. The escalating persecution of artists opposing the Lukashenka and Putin regimes or expressing anti-war sentiments has created an urgent demand for a version of the Safety Guide that is accessible to Russian speakers.
Read the full release.
Cancellation of Samia Halaby Exhibition at Indiana University Represents “An Alarming Affront to Free Expression,” says PEN America
January 12, 2024
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) urgently calls on the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University (IU) to reinstate the planned inaugural U.S. retrospective exhibition of Palestinian artist, Samia Halaby, calling its cancellation “an alarming affront to free expression.”
Read our full statement.
PEN America Condemns Sentencing of Iranian Musician Mehdi Yarrahi to Lashes and Two Years Imprisonment
January 10, 2024
NEW YORK) – Iranian musician Mehdi Yarrahi has been sentenced to two years imprisonment and seventy-four lashes for his song “Roosarito” (Your Head Scarf), which he dedicates to “the noble women of my homeland, who bravely shine in the front line of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement.” The song protests Iran’s long-standing mandatory hijab rule with lyrics such as, “Take off your scarf, let your hair flow.” PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) calls for all charges against Yarrahi to be dropped.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Condemns New Conviction of Iranian Dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi
January 4, 2024
(NEW YORK) - PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) vehemently opposes the new conviction of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi for "propaganda against the system." Announced on January 1, 2024, Salehi was sentenced by Iranian authorities to one year of imprisonment. Additionally, his passport has been annulled for two years, and he is obliged to participate in a behavioral management course. ARC calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately release Salehi, to drop all charges against him, and to halt their persistent assault on free expression.
Read our full statement.
Even in Times of War, Art Must Not be Canceled
December 21, 2023
(NEW YORK) – Amid a global wave of cancellations and other challenges in the art world stemming from artists expressing their views on the Israel-Hamas conflict, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) urges art institutions not to police speech nor deprive audiences of artists’ work, even amid intense conflict and allegations of offense.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Welcomes Release of Iranian Dissident Rapper Toomaj Salehi
November 20, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) welcomes the decision by Iran’s Supreme Court to release rapper Toomaj Salehi.
Read our full statement.
Guatemalan Artists Among Those Targeted During Political Turmoil
November 17, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) strongly condemns Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor, Consuelo Porras, for the profoundly troubling developments in Guatemala, described as “reminiscent of a coup d’état."
Read our full statement.
Aleksandra Skochilenko Sentenced to 7 Years for Supermarket Art Project
November 16, 2023
(NEW YORK) – Russian artist, musician, and author Aleksandra (Sasha) Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in prison today for “knowingly spreading false information about the Russian Armed Forces.”
Read our full statement.
New Iran Headscarf Ban Targeting Actresses Must Be Lifted Immediately
October 27, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America strongly denounces Iran’s recent ban on performing for actresses who have appeared in public without a head cover.
Read our full statement.
Pen America Condemns Arrest of Tunisian Cartoonist for Mocking the Prime Minister
September 22, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America condemned the arrest of political cartoonist Tawfiq Omrane following the publication of a satirical cartoon mocking Tunisan prime minister, Ahmed Hachani.
Read our full statement.
On the Anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s Death, Pen America Calls for an End to the Suppression of Free Thought and Expression in Iran
September 15, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America calls upon the Iranian government to cease its continued persecution of dissident voices and to release artists, writers, and creatives sentenced to prison for expressing their opinions through their creative work.
Read our full statement.
Pen America Condemns Arrest of Iranian Musician Mehdi Yarrahi and Subsequent Work Ban on ‘Cultural Activists’
August 28, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America today condemned the arrest of Iranian musician Mehdi Yarrahi following the release on Friday of his song “Your Head Scarf” which protests the long-standing mandatory hijab rule imposed in the country. PEN America calls for Yarrahi’s immediate release and for all charges to be dropped against him.
Read our full statement.
Florida College Should Reschedule Photography Exhibit After Dispute Over Reasons for its Cancellation
August 25, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America called on Daytona State College in Florida to reschedule a photo exhibition by Jon Henry in light of a dispute over why the show was cancelled. PEN America said the contentious development creates a “troubling precedent” and called on the college to offer to host the show in the future.
Read our full statement.
Prison Sentence Against Iranian Filmmaker Saeed Roustayi Effort to “Asphyxiate” Vibrant Ideas and Silence Creative Voices
August 17, 2023
(NEW YORK) - PEN America today called for the immediate release of Iranian filmmaker Saeed Roustayi after he was sentenced to six months in prison for screening his award-winning film Leila’s Brothers at the Cannes Film Festival. PEN America said the sentence is a calculated effort to “asphyxiate” vibrant ideas and silence dissenting and creative voices.
Read our full statement.
Iranian Actresses Leila Bolukat and Afsaneh Bayegan Sentenced for Refusing to Wear Mandatory Headscarf
July 19, 2023
(NEW YORK) – ARC today condemned an Iranian court’s sentence against Iranian actress Afsaneh Bayegan for her refusal to wear a headscarf, following by a day a similar sentence imposed on another actress, Leila Bolukat, who was also banned from acting.
Read our full statement.
Imprisoned Cuban Artist and Activist Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez Sews His Mouth Shut To Protest Threats And Harassment
July 14, 2023
(NEW YORK) – ARC called for the immediate and unconditional release of Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, who has sewn his mouth shut to protest the ongoing harassment and threats he has experienced in Kilo 5 y Medio, a maximum-security prison in Cuba.
Read our full statement.
Belarusian Artist and Activist Ales Pushkin Dies in Prison
July 12, 2023
(NEW YORK) – ARC and PEN America expressed horror today over the reported untimely death on Monday evening of artist Ales Pushkin, who died in intensive care under unclear circumstances in the Belarusian prison where he had been held on a bogus political charge since 2021.
Read our full statement.
Pen America Condemns Six-Year Prison Sentence For Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi
July 11, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America and ARC today called for the immediate release of Iranian dissident and rapper Toomaj Salehi and condemned the “brutal” six-year prison sentence he received on Monday solely for his protest music and encouraging dissent.
Read our full statement.
On Second Anniversary of Historic July 11 Cuban Demonstrations, Plight Of Exiled Artists Underscores Deterioration of Artistic Freedom
July 11, 2023
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection, PEN International, and Cubalex launched a new report, Método Cuba: Independent Artists’ Testimonies of Forced Exile, which profiled 17 exiled artists and cultural professionals that demonstrate their resilience and document the repressive and sometimes violent tactics by the Cuban state that forced them to flee.
Read our full statement.
Cartoonist Has been Censored and Harassed Throughout His Career
June 9, 2023
(NEW YORK) – Ahead of a planned exhibition by Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao in Warsaw, Chinese embassy officials visited the host institution to demand the cancellation of the exhibition. PEN America released a statement condemning the Chinese authorities for their blatant attempt at transnational repression through an attempt to censor criticism of the Chinese government overseas. The free speech organization called for the exhibition to be held as planned.
Read our full statement.
Whereabouts of Cartoonist Atena Farghadani Remain Unknown
June 9, 2023
(NEW YORK) – ARC today condemned the arrest of Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani and called for her immediate and unconditional release. After posting a satirical cartoon on her Instagram earlier that day, Farghadani was summoned to Evin courthouse in Tehran on Wednesday and arrested. There has been no information about the grounds for her arrest or her whereabouts since Wednesday.
Read our full statement.
Pro Democracy Artists Sanmu Chen and Chan Mei-tung Were Among Those Arrested
June 6, 2023
(NEW YORK) – ARC today condemned the arrests last Sunday by Hong Kong police of 23 citizens, including performance artists Sanmu Chen and Chan Mei Tung, at a gathering to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. PEN America called the arrests “disturbing” and “unjustified” and part of Hong Kong’s escalating crackdown on free expression.
Read our full statement.
Secret Committee Mandated to Investigate More than 141 Artists, Singers, and Media Personalities, According to Leaked Report
May 2, 2023
(NEW YORK) – Leaked documents revealing an Iranian secret committee to target artists and other cultural and creative figures during mass demonstrations prove the “deliberate and systemic” assault on free expression, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection said today.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Demands the Immediate Release of Kurdish Rapper Saman Yasin After Request for Amnesty Was Denied
April 20, 2023
(NEW YORK) – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s judiciary amnesty commission today rejected an amnesty request from Kurdish rapper Saman Yasin, who was arrested in October 2022 and handed a death sentence. PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) released a statement calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately release Yasin and put an end to all threats and intimidations against activists, writers, and artists in Iran.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Demands Release of All Detained Egyptian Activists, Writers and Artists
March 9, 2023
(NEW YORK) – Marking five years of unlawful imprisonment for writing the lyrics of the song “Balaha,” Egyptian poet Galal El-Behairy has started a hunger strike in Badr Prison to protest inhumane conditions. He joins over a dozen other activists on a hunger strike in Egyptian prisons on pre-trial charges, reflecting human rights abuses facing writers, artists and activists, including arbitrary imprisonment and deprivation of medical care.
Read our full statement.
Former Political Prisoners Reportedly Include Writer Sergio Ramirez and Poet Gioconda Belli, Former President of PEN Nicaragua
February 17, 2023
(NEW YORK) – Following news reports last week that 222 political prisoners from Nicaragua – including multiple artists, writers, and journalists – were released and transported to the United States, PEN America has obtained disturbing new details regarding their forcible expulsion from the country, based on conversations with three individuals with knowledge of the situation, including a Nicaraguan human rights defender, a deported political prisoner, and a family member of a deported political prisoner.
Read our full statement.
Artists Were Arrested and Detained for Several Hours Before Being Released
February 16, 2023
(NEW YORK – LONDON) – PEN America and PEN International today condemned the temporary detention of at least six artists and activists in Cuba on Wednesday, including Yordanka Battle Moré, Adelth Bonne Gamboa, Rosmery Almeda (known as Alma Poet), Yamilka Lafita (known as Lara Crofs), Yulier Rodríguez, and Arián Cruz (known as Tata Poet). The artists were arrested and detained for several hours before being released. PEN America and PEN International denounced the detentions as part of the Cuban government’s continued targeting of artists for exercising their fundamental right to free expression.
Read our full statement.
Report Details a Surge in Authoritarianism, Invasive Responses to the Pandemic and Violent Crackdowns on Social Protest
December 15, 2022
(NEW YORK) —PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), Labo Ciudadano, and Amnesty International today launched a new report documenting the troubling rise in restrictions on artistic freedom in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report says censorship and repression have been exacerbated by a regional surge in authoritarianism, invasive regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and violent crackdowns on large-scale social demonstrations.
Read our full statement.
PEN America condemns the brutal execution of Iranian artist and activist Mohsen Shekari for participating in protest
December 10, 2022
(NEW YORK) - PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) condemns the execution of Iranian artist and activist Mohsen Shekari by the Islamic Republic of Iran on December 8, 2022 after the Islamic Revolution Court in Tehran reportedly found him guilty of moharebeh or “waging war against God.” PEN America demands the immediate release of all Iranian artists and activists, and calls on the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission to investigate the deliberate targeting of artists and activists for exercising their freedom of expression.
Read our full statement.
Indictment of Iranian Rap Artist Toomaj Salehi for Music Supporting Protests is Obscene and Horrifying
December 2, 2022
(NEW YORK) - PEN America today condemned the indictment in Iran of rap artist Toomaj Salehi, who could face the death penalty for songs he wrote in support of ongoing mass protests across Iran.
Read the full statement.
PEN America and Amani: Africa Creative Defense Network Condemn “Unjust Sentences” and Flogging of Nigerian TikTok Comedians Over Satirical Video Skits
November 15, 2022
(NEW YORK)–In response to harsh sentences imposed Nov. 7 on Nigerian comedians Mubarak Muhammad and Nazifi Muhammad, including public floggings, fines, and hard labor, for publishing satirical skits on TikTok, PEN America and the Amani: Africa Creative Defence Network today condemned the violence and demanded that the sentences be vacated.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Condemns State-Sponsored Execution of Ukrainian Orchestra Conductor for Reportedly Refusing Concert in Russian-Occupied City of Kherson
October 18, 2022
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) today condemned the murder of the Ukrainian conductor Yuri Kerpatenko, who was reportedly shot and killed in early October by Russian soldiers after he refused to perform in a propaganda concert organized by the occupying regime.
Read our full statement.
Artists at Risk Connection Condemns “Cruel” Detention of Iranian Musician for Sharing a Poem in Support of the Mahsa Amini Protests
October 5, 2022
(NEW YORK) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) today condemned the arrest of Iranian musician and poet Mona Borzouei, who was taken into custody on September 28 by Iran’s security forces for reading a poem in support of the Mahsa Amini protests.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Condemns Arrests of Iranian Filmmakers as a “Brazen Violation” of Human Rights
July 12, 2022
(New York, NY) – In response to news that several Iranian filmmakers, including Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi, have been arrested after publicly calling for the Iranian government to end violence against protesters, PEN America released a statement condemning the arrests as a "brazen violation" of human rights.
Read the full press statement.
“Cruel and Inhumane” Prison Sentences Imposed Without “Legal Merit” on Cuban Artist-Activists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez
June 24, 2022
(New York, NY) – PEN America and PEN International today condemned Cuban authorities for sentencing Cuban artists and activists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez to 5 and 9 years in prison, respectively, marking the culmination of a year-long “ruthless and inhumane” effort to punish them for their artistic expression and leadership in protest movements on the island. In a statement, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), PEN Cuba in Exile and PEN International condemned this heartbreaking news and expressed their deep sympathy and solidarity for these two brave artists and activists.
Read our full statement.
Human Rights Organizations Demand Immediate Freedom for Cuban Artists Facing Persecution Due to Pro-Democracy Activities
June 17, 2022
(New York, NY) – Seventeen human and civil rights organizations have called for the immediate release of Cuban artists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Pérez, who stood trial on May 30 and 31 on trumped up charges and have been detained since the summer of 2021. The Municipal Court of Marianao, based in Havana, will soon announce the conviction sentence for both artists, who are also members of the San Isidro Movement.
PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) has signed on to a statement drafted with fellow human rights organizations condemning the charges of alleged contempt, defamation, and public disorder brought against the artists.
Read the full statement.
Fears For Safety of Exiled Iranian Singer and Poet as She Travels to Genoa for Poetry Festival
June 15, 2022
(New York, NY) – PEN America today welcomed the news that exiled Iranian singer, poet and activist Sahar Ajdamsani is invited to participate in this week’s Genoa International Poetry Festival, but noted its ongoing concerns for Ajdamsani’s safety. The award-winning artist and poet fled Iran last year due to fears she is at risk with Iranian authorities as a result of her collaboration with global artists on the song “Quarantine World.” PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) has been working on her case since December to connect her with emergency funds and residency opportunities.
Read our full statement.
PEN America and PEN International: Grave Concern Over the Lack of Due Process Protections in Arbitrary Trials of Cuban Artist Set for May 30-31
May 26, 2022
(New York - London) – Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “El Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, artists and members of the San Isidro Movement, will stand trial on May 30 and 31 in the Municipal Court of Marianao, Havana. PEN International and PEN America condemn the unsubstantiated charges brought against the artists, the forthcoming arbitrary trial, and demand their immediate acquittal and release.
Read PEN's full statement.
Years-Long Campaign of Political Persecution Ends with Harsh Sentences Against Three in Turkey
May 3, 2022
(New York, NY) – PEN America on Tuesday condemned trumped-up charges against documentary filmmaker Mine Özerden, film producer Çiğdem Mater, and philanthropist Osman Kavala, all of whom have recently received criminal sentences in Turkey. PEN America called on the Turkish government to vacate their sentences and immediately release them. PEN America expressed solidarity with planned protests in support of those detained and convicted.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Condemns Harsh Sentencing of Myanmar Filmmaker Ma Aeint, Sentenced to Three Years in Prison with Hard Labor on Baseless Charges
May 3, 2022
(New York, NY) — PEN America on Tuesday called for the immediate release of filmmaker Ma Aeint, following her sentencing on April 30, by a court in Yangon, Myanmar to three years of imprisonment with hard labor. She was arrested on baseless charges of “causing fear, spreading fake news or agitating against government employees,” which PEN America condemned as another example of the government’s ongoing crackdown on artistic expression through spurious criminal charges.
Read our full statement.
Alarm Over Reported Deportation of Nicaraguan Musician
April 21, 2022
(New York, NY)– PEN America is deeply alarmed by Nicaragua’s reported deportation of musician and music producer Leonardo Canales to Costa Rica, and condemns the ongoing repression of artistic voices critical of the Nicaraguan government and its leaders.
Read PEN America's full statement.
$2 Million Gift From The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Supports Emergency and Resilience Funds for Persecuted Artists Worldwide and Immediate Support to Artists in Crisis from the Ukraine War
April 20, 2022
(New York, NY) – PEN America announced today that it has received a transformational gift of $2 million from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation to fortify and expand the work of PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) to protect artists facing persecution and to defend artistic freedom globally. As artists come under danger and threat in Ukraine and elsewhere, this generous gift will give them the financial support they need to sustain themselves and their art practice.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Outdoor Evening Poetry Reading April 21 Celebrates Cuban Artist Raul Cordero's Art Installation "The Poem" in NYC
April 18, 2022
(New York, NY) — On Thursday, April 21 at 6pm, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), PEN International, and Times Square Arts will hold an outdoor evening of poetry to celebrate Cuban artist Raúl Cordero’s public art installation, THE POEM, and the poetry community in New York City.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Demands Release of Russian Artist Alexandria Skochilenko, Arrested for Replacing Supermarket Price Labels with Anti-War Messages
April 14, 2022
(New York, NY)– PEN America today called for the immediate release of Russian artist and musician Alexandra Skochilenko from detention and condemned her arrest reportedly for joining anti-war protests in which people are replacing price labels in supermarkets with anti-war messages. Skochilenko is believed to be the first person in St. Petersburg to be detained under recent laws criminalizing ‘false information’ related to the war effort.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Responds to the Deaths of Filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravicius and Photojournalist Maksim Levin in Ukraine
April 4, 2022
(New York, NY) --In response to the deaths of Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravicius and Ukrainian photojournalist Maksim Levin, both of whom were killed in Ukraine over the weekend, PEN America released the following statement:
“Kvedaravicus and Levin will be remembered for their remarkable courage and for the vital contributions they have made to exposing the devastating, ongoing impact of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Our hearts are with their families. These attacks on civilians, including journalists, must end.”
Read PEN America's full statement.
PEN America and PEN International Condemn Six-Year Prison Sentence for Cuban Musician Abel Lescay
April 1, 2022
(New York | London) — PEN America and PEN International today condemned a six-year prison sentence imposed on Cuban musician Abel Lescay on Wed., March 30 on public disorder charges after his participation in the mass demonstrations against the government in Cuba last summer.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Reacts With Alarm to News of Intimidation of Chinese Dissidents in U.S.
March 17, 2022
(New York, NY)–The recent news that the Justice Department has charged five people for allegedly working with the Chinese government to surveil and target Chinese dissidents living in the United States illustrates how the reach and intensity of Beijing’s efforts to silence its critics extend beyond its own borders, PEN America said today.
Read our full statement.
Russia's 'Reckless and Dangerous Aggression' Threaten Ukraine's Hard-Won Democratic and Human Rights Advances
February 24, 2022
(New York, NY)-- In response to Vladimir Putin’s military action against Ukraine, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel issued the following statement:
“Ukraine’s hard-won democratic and human rights gains, and its very independence as a nation, risk obliteration as a result of Russia’s reckless and dangerous aggression. The Kremlin’s brazen effort to deflect responsibility for this crisis by persisting with false narratives that have already been exposed and debunked represents a new low in global efforts to obfuscate the truth and cloak motives and methods in lies. We stand with writers, intellectuals, artists, journalists, activists, and all those in Ukraine and the region who have written or spoken out against the abuses of the Putin regime and now face mortal danger."
Read PEN America's full statement.
Exhibition by Afghan Artists Creating Through Perilous Times
February 8, 2022
(New York, NY) – PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and Art at a Time Like This announce the launch of Before Silence: Afghan Artists in Exile, an online exhibition presenting the work of multidisciplinary Afghan artists who have continued to create through incredibly difficult and perilous circumstances.
Read PEN America's full statement.
PEN America Condemns Arbitrary Detention of Cuban Artists/Art Historian Carolina Barrero
February 1, 2022
(New York, NY) – PEN America and PEN International are deeply alarmed by the detention of the Cuban artist, activist and art historian Carolina Barrero, who was arrested on Monday after attending a protest in Havana and is now being detained.
Read PEN America's full statement.
PEN America Celebrates Release of Aras Amiri
January 12, 2022
(New York, NY) — PEN America celebrated the acquittal and release of Iranian art curator Aras Amiri, who was serving a 10-year sentence after being arrested during a visit to Iran in 2018 and convicted of spying.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Calls for Release of Ukrainian Theater Director Yevhen Lavrenchuk
January 6, 2022
(New York, NY) — PEN America called for the immediate release of Ukrainian theater director Yevhen Lavrenchuk, who has been detained in Italy since December 17 following an extradition request to Interpol from the Russian authorities, his family revealed on Tuesday, January 4.
Read our full statement.
ARC Condemns Arrest of Singer Denise Ho by Hong Kong National Police
December 29, 2021
(New York, NY) — Hong Kong’s National Police arrested singer and pro-democracy activist Denise Ho at her home on suspicion of violating the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance by allegedly conspiring to release seditious publications. Ho, the famous cantopop popstar and former board member of the online media organization Stand News, was among six individuals arrested by the National Police in an early morning operation targeting current and former staff members of Stand News.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Celebrates Release of Sanaa Seif
December 23, 2021
(New York, NY) — PEN America today celebrated the release of Egyptian film editor, writer, and activist Sanaa Seif, who had been serving an eighteen-month sentence on spurious charges of “spreading false news,” “misusing social media,” and insulting a police officer on duty.
Read our full statement.
Photojournalist Shahidul Alam’s Ongoing Police Investigation Must End
December 17, 2021
(New York, NY) — After the High Court of Bangladesh rejected a petition from renowned photojournalist Shahidul Alam challenging the legality of criminal charges against him, PEN America again called for charges against Alam to be dropped.
Read our full statement.
Cuba: Prominent Figures Urge End to Repression of Artists
December 8, 2021
(New York, NY) — The Cuban government should immediately stop its abuses against Cuban artists, over 300 prominent figures from the art world said today in a statement co-signed by PEN International, the Artists at Risk Connection of PEN America, and Human Rights Watch. The Cuban government should respect freedom of expression, release arbitrarily detained artists, drop abusive criminal charges, and allow those in exile to return to their country, the arts figures and human rights groups said.
Read PEN America's full statement.
PEN America Condemns Continuous and Unjust Persecution of the Popular Rappers in Russia
December 7, 2021
(New York, NY) — PEN America decried Russia’s Chief Prosecutor Alexander Bastrykin’s call for an investigation into rappers Oxxxymiron (Miron Fedorov) and Noize MC (Ivan Alekseyev) after a “group of patriots” allegedly denounced their songs for being critical of government censorship.
Read PEN America's full statement.
PEN America Demands Turkey Explain or Drop Charges Against Detained Musician
November 18, 2021
(New York, NY) — Syrian musician Omar Souleyman was arrested in Turkey Wednesday on terrorism charges relating to his alleged affiliation to the Kurdish Workers Party. PEN America today warned that such charges are often pretextual, and called on the Turkish government to immediately substantiate their claims or drop charges against Souleyman.
Read our full statement.
Cuban Authorities Lock Down Would-Be Protesters
November 15, 2021
(New York, NY) — State security forces in Cuba today prevented demonstrators from taking part in a planned rally to protest ongoing repression and persecution on the island, barricading artists, journalists, and activists inside their homes. PEN America and PEN International condemned the Cuban regime for refusing to allow the protests to take place and called on Cuban authorities to lift the state of siege against protesting artists.
Read our full statement.
Imprisoned Cuban Rapper Maykel 'Osorbo' Castillo Begins Hunger Strike
October 27, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban artist and Latin Grammy-nominated rapper Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo, who has been detained at the maximum-security Pinar del Rio prison since May 2021, began a hunger strike today in protest of his imprisonment and Cuba’s broader crackdown on free expression. Since his latest arbitrary arrest, he has not been guaranteed due process. In a statement today, PEN America and PEN International called on the Cuban government to release Castillo immediately and to end their campaign of brutal repression against Cuban artists.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Issues Urgent Call to Release Hunger Striking Cuban Artist
October 6,2021
(New York, NY) — PEN America and PEN International today issued their pressing concern over the health of imprisoned Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who has been undergoing a hunger strike since September 27. Protesting his own imprisonment as well as Cuba’s broader crackdown on artistic expression, Otero Alcántara’s health is now quickly deteriorating. PEN America and PEN International urge Cuban authorities to immediately discharge Otero Alcántara without making his permanent departure from the island a condition of his release.
Read our full statement here.
Imprisoned Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Begins Hunger Strike
October 1, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who has been incarcerated in a high-security prison since July, began a hunger strike this week in protest of his imprisonment and continued repression against artists in the country. PEN America and PEN International today condemned the Cuban authorities for their ongoing persecution of artists and activists and called for their immediate release.
Read our full statement here.
Cuban Artist and Activist Hamlet Lavastida Released From Detention
September 26, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban artist and activist Hamlet Lavastida was released Saturday after three months in detention. His release is a moment of joy and celebration for Hamlet, his family, and all those who have fought for his freedom, PEN America and PEN International said today.
Read our full statement here.
New Network Launching to Provide Support to Artists at Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean
September 23, 2021
(New York, NY) — PEN America announced today it is launching a network to provide rapid response support for artists across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Protection of Artists at Risk — Protección de Artistas en Riesgo (PAR) network brings together the resources and expertise of seven organizations to provide assistance to persecuted creatives in Latin America; to coordinate support for artists and cultural professionals in the region who face persecution and harassment because of their creative work; to facilitate communications and information-sharing between artists and organizations throughout the region.
Read our full statement.
Artists at Risk Connection Releases New Podcast, ‘Creating Artistic Resilience: Voices of Asia’
September 14, 2021
(New York, NY) — In a limited-run podcast released today called Creating Artistic Resilience: Voices of Asia from PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection—produced in partnership with the Mekong Cultural Hub (MCH) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)—five artists and cultural rights defenders from Myanmar, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh share their experiences of artistic freedom, activism and their stories of resilience in the face of resistance.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Decries Russia's Expulsion of Comedian
September 2, 2021
(New York, NY) — The Russian government this week issued an order permanently expelling Idrak Mirzalizade, a Belarusian standup comedian, from Russia in retaliation for a joke he made about racial discrimination in the Moscow housing market. Authorities have said they will deport Mirzalizade if he does not leave the country. PEN America today condemned the Russian authorities for this absurd response to a comedian exercising his fundamental right to free expression.
Read our full statement.
New Cuban Cyber Security Laws Will Deepen Government Repression
August 30, 2021
(New York, NY) — A new package of cyber security laws introduced last week in Cuba threaten to further curtail online dissent and pose an ever-greater threat to free expression in a country wracked by mass protests in recent months. The newly-adopted Decree-Law 35 and Resolution 105 include new criminal prohibitions on publishing information online that is critical of the Cuban government. PEN International and PEN America warned that these new regulations will deepen the government’s repression of dissenting voices online and must be understood in the context of the government’s continuing censorship and criminalization of free speech.
Read our full statement.
Cuban Rapper El Radikal Released on Bail
August 26, 2021
(New York, NY) — After 40 days of detention, Cuban rapper Richard Adrián Zamora Brito, known as El Radikal, was released last Friday on bail. PEN America welcomes Zamora’s release and calls on Cuban authorities to vacate his sentence and to release all artists that have been unjustly imprisoned in recent months.
Read our full statement.
U.S. Must Act Swiftly to Protect Afghan Writers and Cultural Figures Who’ve Defended Free Expression
August 17, 2021
(New York, NY) — PEN America today called for the U.S. to act swiftly to offer protection to writers and cultural actors in Afghanistan. PEN America is calling on its Members and allies to write to their members of Congress appealing for immediate support. In the weeks leading up to the country’s collapse, Taliban forces murdered two members of Afghanistan PEN, highlighting the grave threat writers and others in the country may now face.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Condemns Continued Detention of Belarusian Musicians
August 17, 2021
(New York, NY) — Today PEN America condemned the continued detention of members of Belarusian fantasy-folk music group Irdorath, detained earlier this month for performing as part of demonstrations in 2020. Authorities failed to release them upon the completion of their ten day pre-trial detention on August 12, and it is now assumed that they will remain in custody until their trials. For their participation and use of music in the protests, six band members face up to four years in prison.
Read our full statement.
Cuba Releases Arrested Artists; PEN America Celebrates But Demands Full Exoneration
July 26, 2021
(New York, NY) — Numerous Cuban artists were released from prison this weekend, including photographer and filmmaker Anyelo Troya, actor and poet Alexander Diego Gil, and plastic artist Carlos González. PEN America and PEN International today celebrated their release and called on the Cuban authorities to vacate the sentences against them, as well as to release all other artists that have been unjustly arrested or imprisoned in recent weeks.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Joins PEN Centers Globally Demanding Artistic Freedom in Cuba
July 20, 2021
(New York, NY/London) — Amid mass demonstrations throughout Cuba, an unprecedented number of artists, writers, and musicians have been arrested, detained, and disappeared in the last week. In a joint statement today, PEN International, PEN America, and PEN Cuban Writers in Exile expressed their solidarity with Cuba’s creative community and condemned the Cuban state for muzzling independent thought, action, and ideas.
Read our full statement.
PEN America Demands Release of Cuban Writer and Poet Javier L. Mora
July 16, 2021
(New York, NY) — According to social media reports, Cuban writer and poet Javier L. Mora was detained by police this morning after announcing on social media that he no longer wanted to be a member of a state-operated writers’ association.
Read PEN America's full statement.
Cuban Artist and Activist Hamlet Lavastida Facing Provisional Imprisonment and Investigation
July 6, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban visual artist and activist Hamlet Lavastida now faces provisional imprisonment and is being investigated for “instigation to commit a crime,” as confirmed by his girlfriend, the poet Katherine Bisquet, on her Facebook page. Having rejected a petition for habeas corpus on July 1, the public prosecutor imposed the precautionary measure of provisional imprisonment requested by Cuban State Security on July 3. Lavastida will remain in jail awaiting trial.
Read PEN America's full statement.
CUBAN ARTIST AND ACTIVIST HAMLET LAVASTIDA FACING PROVISIONAL IMPRISONMENT AND INVESTIGATION
July 6, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban visual artist and activist Hamlet Lavastida now faces provisional imprisonment and is being investigated for “instigation to commit a crime,” as confirmed by his girlfriend, the poet Katherine Bisquet, on her Facebook page. Having rejected a petition for habeas corpus on July 1, the public prosecutor imposed the precautionary measure of provisional imprisonment requested by Cuban State Security on July 3. Lavastida will remain in jail awaiting trial.
Read PEN America's full statement.
Cuban Artist and Activist Hamlet Lavastida Abruptly Imprisoned
June 28, 2021
(New York, NY) — PEN America and PEN International today condemned the detention of Cuban visual artist and activist Hamlet Lavastida, calling his abrupt imprisonment following a residency abroad an unjust, disturbing representation of the alarming government culture of hostility toward dissenting artists in Cuba.
Read PEN America's full statement.
PEN America Demands Immediate Release of Cuban Rapper and Activist
June 18, 2021
(New York, NY) – Exactly one month ago, Cuban authorities arrested and detained rapper and activist Maykel Castillo.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Russian Filmmaker Barred From Leaving Country to Attend Film Festival
June 9, 2021
(New York, NY) — Russian authorities have banned acclaimed director Kirill Serebrennikov from leaving the country, meaning he will be unable to attend the debut of his Palme d’Or-nominated film Petrov’s Flu at the Cannes Film Festival in July. Serebrennikov, a longtime Kremlin critic, received a three-year suspended sentence last June on embezzlement charges that human rights advocates say are a veiled attempt to silence him.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Released after a Month in Hospital Detention
June 1, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, founding member of the artistic collective Movimiento San Isidro, was released on May 31, 2021, after nearly a month of detention in Hospital Calixto García in Havana, Cuba.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN AMERICA APPALLED BY DEATH IN DETENTION OF MYANMAR POET
May 11, 2021
(New York, NY) — In response to news of the death of poet Khet Thi while in military custody, PEN America condemned the killing and called on the ruling junta in Myanmar to cease targeting those speaking out against the February 1 military coup.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Russian Artist Declares Hunger Strike to Protest Closed-Door Trial
May 6, 2021
(New York, NY) – Russian feminist artist and LGBTQIA+ activist Yulia Tsvetkova announced a hunger strike earlier this week to demand that her trial, which began last month, be opened to the public.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cuban Authorities Must Release Detained Cuban Artists and Cease Harassment Campaign
April 29, 2021
(New York, NY) — On Thursday morning, Cuban police arrested four artists and one independent journalist attempting to leave their houses to participate in a demonstration in support of independent artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who earlier this week began a hunger and thirst strike to protest governmental repression of independent artists.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
CUBAN ARTIST UNDER HOUSE ARREST BEGINS HUNGER AND THIRST STRIKE
April 26, 2021
(New York, NY) — Independent Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara announced that he would begin a hunger and thirst strike this week after being placed under de facto house arrest. In a statement today, PEN America condemned the Cuban government’s ongoing harassment of Otero Alcántara and said it was part of an ongoing campaign to restrict artistic freedom of expression on the island.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cuban Artist Under House Arrest Begins Hunger and Thirst Strike
April 25, 2021
(New York, NY) — Independent Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara announced that he would begin a hunger and thirst strike this week after being placed under de facto house arrest.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Trial of Russian Artist Charged With "Disseminating Pornography" Begins
April 15, 2021
(New York, NY) – A Russian feminist artist and LGBTQIA+ activist is being tried this week on charges of disseminating pornography for her artwork that depicts nude female bodies and genitalia. If convicted, Yulia Tsvetkova could face up to six years in prison.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cuban Government Bans Journalist From Returning Home
March 19, 2021
(New York, NY) — Cuban journalist Karla Pérez González was stranded in Panama this week after being notified that her government had banned her from re-entry to Cuba, despite meeting travel requirements and having the correct paperwork. In a statement today, PEN America decried the decision as a politically-motivated and repressive effort to exile the journalist, and demanded that authorities allow Pérez González to safely return to her country.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Pussy Riot Members To Appear In Court This Week
March 17, 2021
(New York, NY) – Pussy Riot members Maria “Masha” Alekhina and Lucy Shteyn will appear in court this week on charges related to their peaceful activism. PEN America and the European Film Academy call for their immediate and unconditional release. Alekhina and Shteyn, founding members of the Russian feminist artists collective Pussy Riot, are charged with “inciting violations of sanitary regulations,” after sharing posts on Instagram encouraging people to join protests decrying the jailing of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. Both Alekhina and Shteyn have spent the past two months under house arrest and face up to two years imprisonment.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Suspension of Polish Women's Film Festival
March 15, 2021
(New York, NY) — The last-minute suspension of a Polish women’s film festival, alongside the firing of Polish cultural director Dariusz Wieromiejczyk, appears to be a ham-fisted attempt to censor the voices of women artists who are telling stories the Polish government does not want to hear, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
China's New Performance Regulations A Threat To Artists
March 12, 2021
(New York, NY) — A new set of regulations released by the government-affiliated China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA) aim to restrict artistic freedom in service of the government’s political agenda, PEN America said today, decrying the new rules as an unwarranted intervention into the artistic space and an extension of the government’s efforts to control artistic narratives within the country.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
HUNGER STRIKING BELARUSIAN MUSICIAN MUST BE RELEASED
March 12, 2021
For over a week, detained Belarusian musician and performer Ihar Bancar has gone without food or water, protesting the bogus “hooliganism” accusations that have been raised against him. PEN America today condemned those absurd charges and called for his immediate release, especially as his health deteriorates. Originally imprisoned in October, Bancar had a criminal case for “hooliganism” lodged against him after he allegedly danced in front of a police car partially nude in the city of Hrodna last September.
ON WORLD DAY AGAINST CYBER CENSORSHIP, COALITION LAUNCHES NEW ANTI-CENSORSHIP RESOURCE FOR ARTISTS
March 12, 2021
(New York, NY) — Don’t Delete Art, a virtual gallery and campaign from an international coalition of artists and free expression organizations, has created the first comprehensive resource for artists to avoid and combat censorship on social media. This new guide combines advice from Facebook and Instagram staff, with insights from arts advocates and artists about how to comply with the vague, and often capriciously-applied rules that govern what art is allowed on social media.
CHINA’S NEW PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS A THREAT TO ARTISTS
March 12, 2021
(New York, NY) — A new set of regulations released by the government-affiliated China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA) aim to restrict artistic freedom in service of the government’s political agenda, PEN America said today, decrying the new rules as an unwarranted intervention into the artistic space and an extension of the government’s efforts to control artistic narratives within the country.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Bangladeshi Cartoonist Released on Bail, but Charges Must Be Dropped
March 3, 2021
Imprisoned Bangladeshi cartoonist Ahmed Kishore was granted bail today on health grounds after nearly a year in detention. Kishore, an award-winning cartoonist, was arrested in May 2020 under the Digital Securities Act, a restrictive law criminalizing online speech and creative expression critical of the government that has been increasingly used as a means to crack down on political dissent in the country.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Calls for the Imminent Release of Tortured Bangladesh Cartoonist
March 2, 2021
(New York, NY) — In the wake of the death in custody of Bangladeshi writer Mushtaq Ahmed last week, PEN America is deeply concerned about the health and well-being of codefendant cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore, who has reportedly undergone torture in detention at the Kashimpur High Security Prison and whose health is reportedly failing.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Deeply Concerned by Last Minute Cancellation of Hong Kong Photo Exhibition
March 1, 2021
(New York, NY) — Hong Kong Baptist University abruptly canceled the World Press Photo Exhibition 2020 just three days before it was set to begin, citing “campus safety and security, and the need to maintain pandemic control.” The exhibition, which would have begun March 1, included images of the Hong Kong protests and will reportedly appear online instead.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Jailing of Spanish Rapper Demonstrates Need for Reform of Country's Gag Law
February 19, 2021
(New York, NY) – The Tuesday arrest of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél, in connection to the content of his song lyrics and social media posts, represents a violation of the right to freedom of expression and the need for the immediate reformation of Spain’s laws criminalizing speech, PEN America said today. In the days since his arrest, protests calling for Hasél’s freedom have engulfed Catalonia and other parts of Spain, resulting in the arrests of at least 80 people.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Draft Russian Bill Would Threaten Artistic Freedom, Cultural Exchange
February 12, 2021
(New York, NY) – A draft Russian law that would require independent cultural and educational programs to be “licensed” by the Russian government poses a dire threat to freedom of expression, cultural education, and international cultural exchange, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Pussy Riot Criminal Charges are Attempt to use Pandemic to Silence Dissent
February 5, 2021
(New York, NY) — Criminal charges against the Russian feminist art collective Pussy Riot represent an attempt to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for the Russian government to punish its critics and peaceful protesters, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Arrest of Cuban Artists, Mass Detention of Protestors
January 27, 2021
(New York, NY) — Performance artist Tania Bruguera, writer Katherine Bisquet, and journalist Camila Acosta were detained Wednesday in Havana while trying to attend a protest at the Ministry of Culture. Later in the day, demonstrators at the same protest were allegedly detained and taken to an unknown location. The demonstration was in response to an increasing crackdown against artists and free expression on the island.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Published First Ever Guide for Artists at Risk
January 26, 2021
(New York, NY) — Today PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection is releasing its Safety Guide for Artists, a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind guide available in English, French, and Spanish to help artists navigate, counter, and overcome threats and persecution from those seeking to silence their voices.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Siege Around Ugandan Opposition Leader's Home
January 18, 2021
(New York, NY) – PEN America is deeply alarmed by reports that Ugandan musician and opposition leader Bobi Wine’s house has been surrounded by military and police in the days following national elections criticized by many as rigged in favor of sitting president Yoweri Museveni.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Welcomes Release of Bangladeshi Photojournalist
December 26, 2020
(New York, NY) – In response to the news that Bangladeshi photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol was released from jail after being granted bail in three Digital Security Act cases filed against him, Julie Trebault, director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America, made a statement.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cuban Artist Bruguera Detained and Held Overnight
December 5, 2020
(New York, NY) – Artist and activist Tania Bruguera was reportedly arrested by plainclothes police Friday night, likely in an effort to prevent her from commenting on the recent press conference from Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Culture Fernando Rojas.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Disturbing Wave of Intimidation and Arrests of Cuban Artists
December 4, 2020
(New York, NY) – Cuban authorities’ ruthless, relentless campaign of intimidation and detention of artists over the past month poses grave concerns for both artistic freedom and human rights in the country, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Arbitrary Arrest and Sentencing of Cuban Rapper
November 25, 2020
(New York, NY) — Cuban rapper Denis Solís González was sentenced to eight months in prison for “contempt of authority” earlier this month. In a statement today, PEN America condemned Solís’s imprisonment, calling it a blatant attack on freedom of expression and part of an alarming governmental culture of hostility toward dissenting artistic voices in Cuba.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Turkey Arrest 93 in Raid on Turkish Music Collective’s Cultural Center
November 9, 2020
(New York, NY) — An October 29 raid on the Idil Cultural Center, home to the Turkish music collective Grup Yorum, reportedly resulted in the arrests of 93 people. The arrests include Ali Aracı, a flute player who had recently been released after spending more than a year in prison, as well as the band’s lawyers, background singers, and a number of other soloists and musicians. PEN America condemns these detentions and said today that the raid is part of a glaring effort by Turkish government to silence outspoken artists.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Brazilian Filmmaker Subjected to Wave of Harassment After Satirical Tweet
October 26, 2020
(New York, NY) – After tweeting a satirical play on an 18th century enlightenment quotation, prominent Brazilian journalist and filmmaker João Paulo Cuenca has been subjected to a wave of online harassment and legal action. In a statement today, PEN America, PEN Brazil, and PEN International decried these tactics as a disturbing attack on freedom of expression and part of a worrying trend of hostility towards dissenting voices in Brazil.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Filmmaker, CUNY Student Detained Unjustly in Egypt
September 28, 2020
(New York, NY) — Mustafa Ali Hassanien, an Egyptian filmmaker and student at CUNY College of Staten Island, is currently being held in pretrial detention in Egypt and faces a number of charges that appear to be a politically motivated response to his criticism of the government. PEN America and the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) denounced his detention and said that Hassanien’s arrest is an inexcusable violation of artistic freedom and a blatant attempt to silence political dissent.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
'Antibodies' Original Song Channels Fight for Free Expression
September 24, 2020
(New York, NY) — PEN America today released “Antibodies,” an original song by Mai Khoi and Hamed Sinno in Vietnamese and Arabic that channels the current global movement for social justice amid a pandemic. The song’s release is part of #ArtistsxArtists, a campaign of PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) meant to call attention to threats to artistic freedom by pairing artists to creative collaborative works. The song is available today on Spotify and other platforms.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Turkey Frees Another Member of Embattled Music Collective
September 11, 2020
(New York, NY) — Just over a week after the release of Ali Aracı, another musician and member of the Turkish music collective Grup Yorum, Emel Yeşilırmak, was released from prison today. Yeşilırmak, who was sentenced to five years in jail, had been arrested 18 months earlier in the same raid as İbrahim Gökçek, a member of the band who died earlier this year following a hunger strike.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Iranian Musician Faces Spurious, Politically-Motivated Charges
September 4, 2020
(New York, NY) — On Saturday, Iranian musician Mehdi Rajabian is expected to appear in court after being arrested for allegedly “encouraging prostitution” with his newest album. PEN America and English PEN condemn the arrest as an arbitrary and politically-motivated attempt to silence Rajabian as a musician, and call for the charges against him to be dropped.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Welcomes Release of Turkish Musician
September 4, 2020
(New York, NY) — Ali Aracı, a flute player for the Turkish music collective Grup Yorum, was released from prison Thursday after being behind bars since June 2019.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Death Sentence for Nigerian Musician
August 14, 2020
(New York, NY) — PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) has joined a statement from a wide range of human rights and artistic groups condemning the death sentence of a Nigerian musician and calling for his immediate release.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Demands Release of Three Belarusian Theater Company Members
August 11, 2020
(New York, NY) — Three members of an underground, independent theater company in Belarus were arrested during protests Sunday following the country’s contest presidential election. PEN America today condemned the detention of two managing directors of the Belarus Free Theatre, Svetlana Sugako and Nadezhda Brodskaya, as well as acting company member Daria Andreyanova, saying their arrests were politically motivated attempts to silence critical voices and demanding they be released immediately and unconditionally alongside all other political prisoners.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Turkish Music Collective's Cultural Center Raided by Police
August 6, 2020
(New York, NY) – On Wednesday, Turkish police raided a cultural center and arrested six members of a musical collective based there. The members of Grup Yorum, frequently targeted by authorities for speaking out against the Turkish government, were released later that day.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Writers, Actors, Filmmakers Call For Release of Egyptian Film Editor
August 4, 2020
(New York, NY) — Over 200 of the world’s most prominent artists, along with nearly two dozen leading human rights groups and film organizations, are calling for the immediate release of Sanaa Seif, a film editor arrested in Cairo last month.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Turkish Writer Faces Renewed Charges After Acquittal in February
July 10, 2020
(New York, NY) — Turkish prosecutors this week have reopened a spurious case against writer Asli Erdoğan. She now faces renewed charges of sedition, membership of a terrorist organization, and use of propaganda for her work with Özgür Gündem, a pro-Kurdish newspaper that the Turkish government shuttered in 2016. PEN America today called for an end to the politically-motivated harassment of Erdoğan and condemned the unjust nature of the appeal.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Suit Against Chilean Artist Collective is Censorship
July 2, 2020
(New York, NY) — Chilean authorities have brought a lawsuit against the feminist collective Las Tesis for allegedly inciting violence and hate against the country’s national police force, arguing that a recent performance amounted to a direct attack against the police. In a statement today, PEN America said the act was a blatant instance of state-sponsored censorship.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cuban Artist and Activist Arrested En Route to Protest
June 30, 2020
(New York, NY) – Artist and activist Tania Bruguera was reportedly arrested by Cuban authorities outside her home Tuesday morning, likely in an effort to prevent her from attending countrywide demonstrations against police violence. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. PEN America today condemned the news, calling it an affront to freedom of expression.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Russian Theater Director Given Three-Year Suspended Sentence
June 26, 2020
(New York, NY) — Prominent Russian theater and film director Kirill Serebrennikov and a group of co-defendants were convicted on baseless embezzlement charges today. PEN America said the conviction and sentences were yet another unjust, unwarranted attack on dissenters in Russia.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Decries Detention and Apparent Assault of Cuban Artists
June 13, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America is deeply concerned about the detention of independent Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and rapper and musician Maykel Osorbo. Both were released Friday morning with signs of assault. In what is indisputably part of the Cuban government’s ongoing efforts to terrorize independent artists, the two artists were detained and assaulted by police on Thursday night. When they were released, they were wounded and covered in blood.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Toward a More Just World: A PEN America Statement
June 1, 2020
As an organization that champions open expression and the freedom to write, PEN America condemns the horrific toll that anti-Black racism and bigotry exact upon people and society by threatening lives, sowing divisions, and silencing voices. Anti-Black violence, and the systems that perpetuate it, have caused incalculable grief and physical suffering, and cripple the quest for common truths and social progress. Bigotry is also an affront to free speech, for when words and acts willfully inflict terror and harm, they subvert open discourse.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Egyptian Web Designer Mustafa Gamal Ordered Freed
June 1, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America was heartened to learn today that Egyptian designer Mustafa Gamal has been ordered released from pre-trial detention in Egypt. Originally detained in connection with a music video critical of Egypt’s government, his release comes just days after PEN America led a global coalition calling for the release of all pre-trial detainees being held unjustly in Egypt and a full investigation into the death of the music video’s director Shady Habash.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America-led Coalition Demands Investigation into Death of Egyptian Filmmaker
May 22, 2020
(New York, NY)— In an open letter sent this week to the Egyptian Ministry of Justice, PEN America, Amani: Africa Creative Defence Network, and more than 60 partner organizations called on authorities to conduct a full and transparent investigation into the death in custody of 24 year-old filmmaker Shady Habash, and to release all artists, writers, and journalists currently held in pre-trial detention.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Chilean Authorities Appear to Allow Erasure of Art Collective’s Work
May 20, 2020
New York, NY – In an attempt to raise awareness about the thousands of people affected by COVID-19 who have not received adequate treatment, Delight Lab had been conducting a series of “proyectorazo” actions in Santiago, projecting visuals and text on public spaces. On May 18, they screened the word hambre, or hunger, on the Telefónica building in downtown Santiago. The next day, they displayed the words humanidad and solidaridad (humanity and solidarity), but shortly thereafter, a vehicle apparently under police escort directed floodlights at the building, effectively “erasing” Delight Lab’s artwork.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
"Found" Bangladeshi Photojournalist Must Be Released
May 7, 2020
(New York, NY) –Bangladeshi photo journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol was arrested and charged Monday shortly after being “found” following a disappearance of 53 days. PEN America denounced his disappearance and arrest as a blatant attempt to muzzle criticism of the government, and demanded that Bangladeshi authorities immediately release Kajol and drop all charges against him.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Turkish Musician Suspends Hunger Strike After Nearly A Year
May 6, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America is relieved to hear that Turkish musician İbrahim Gökçek, a member of the music collective Grup Yorum, suspended his hunger strike as of Wednesday and is receiving medical treatment. The news comes a day after it was announced that his health had reached a critical level. He started his hunger strike 323 days ago to protest his imprisonment and that of eight other band members in 2019.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Egyptian Filmmaker and Photographer Jailed for a Music Video Dies in Prison
May 2, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America mourns the death of Egyptian filmmaker and photographer Shady Habash, who died Friday in Tora Prison, a maximum-security facility in Cairo, after almost 800 days in pre-trial detention. The cause of his death is not yet known. Jailed for directing a music video critical of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, he had been in prison since March 2018. PEN America said his death was a devastating blow to artistic freedom, called for answers into the circumstances of his passing, and condemned the Egyptian government’s ongoing criminalization of artists and writers who express dissenting views.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America-Led Coalition Launches New Rapid Response Network to Support African Artists
April 29, 2020
PEN America today is launching a network to provide rapid response support for artists across the African continent. Amani: Africa Creative Defence Network* brings together the resources of ten organizations to provide assistance to creatives at risk in Africa; to coordinate adequate support when artists and cultural professionals on the continent face danger because of their work; and to support regional safe havens.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Decision to Halt Green Cards a Devastating Blow to International Exchange of Ideas
April 22, 2020
New York, NY – President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily halt the issuance of all green cards for people wishing to immigrate to the United States for 60 days deals a devastating blow to cross-cultural exchange and the free flow of ideas and individuals, PEN America said today. Over half a million people were granted green cards in the United States last year, many of them are artists, writers, and cultural professionals. Work visas will not be granted, barring creative foreigners to work and live in the United States.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Burmese Artists Arrested For Mural Depicting Dangers of Coronavirus
April 14, 2020
New York, NY – On April 3, Zayar Hnaung, Ja Sai, and Naw Htun Aung were charged with violating article 295A of the Myanmar penal code , which criminalizes speech that “insults or attempts to insult” religion or religious beliefs. The artists were arrested after painting a mural intended to raise awareness about the coronavirus epidemic. PEN America today said charges should be dropped against three Burmese street artists arrested for purportedly “insulting religion.” PEN America also said that their arrest exemplifies the abusive potential of laws that penalize peaceful speech.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Turkish Musician Dies Following Hunger Strike
April 3, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America mourns the death of Turkish singer Helin Bölek, who died Friday after a nearly 300-day hunger strike. She was a member of the music collective Grup Yorum, which has faced ongoing persecution by the Turkish government for years. Bölek had been on a hunger strike to protest her imprisonment and that of eight other band members during 2019.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Prison Sentence for Uyghur Singer Part of China's Efforts to Eradicate Uyghur Culture
March 27, 2020
New York, NY – The secret sentencing of celebrated Uyghur singer Rashida Dawut to 15 years in prison for “separatism” is one more iteration of the Chinese government’s disturbing and reprehensible attempt to eradicate the cultural expression of Uyghurs and other minority groups, PEN America said today. Sentenced in a secret trial in late 2019 in northwest’s China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Rashida Dawut’s status was only reported this week by Radio Free Asia.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Thai Artist Arrested for Posting About Country's Coronavirus Screening
March 25, 2020
New York, NY – The arrest of Thai artist Danai Ussama for Facebook posts related to the COVID-19 outbreak is an indefensible violation of freedom of expression and poses a significant threat to the spread of truthful health-related information during the pandemic, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Dissident Cuban Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Freed After 13 Days in Jail
March 16, 2020
New York, NY – Independent Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was released by Cuban authorities overnight on Friday, March 13. The artist had been arrested for the twenty-first time since 2017 on fallacious charges of “insulting national symbols” and “property damage,” and had been in jail awaiting trial since March 1. Hours before his release, Amnesty International named Otero Alcántara a prisoner of conscience.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Charges Must Be Dropped Against Ugandan Filmmaker and Journalist
March 16, 2020
New York, NY – The arrest of Ugandan filmmaker and journalist Bwayo Moses on charges of “unlawful assembly” and “singing [a] song subverting or promoting subversion of the government of Uganda” represents an unwarranted and unjustifiable attack on artistic expression, and charges against him should immediately be dropped, PEN America, the International Documentary Association (IDA), and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Detention of Cuban Artist, Demands Charges Be Dropped
March 4, 2020
New York, NY – The arrest of Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara on fabricated charges is an indefensible violation of freedom of expression and basic human dignity. Cuban multidisciplinary artist Otero Alcántara was reportedly arrested Sunday on alleged charges of insulting national symbols, vandalism, and aggravated contempt of court. He could face a sentence of 2 to 5 years in prison. PEN America today said those charges must be dropped and Otero Alcántara should be released immediately.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Egyptian Institutions Ban Mahraganat Genre of Music and Threaten Legal Action Against Artists and Listeners
February 24, 2020
New York, NY — The state-supported ban on mahraganat, an Egyptian electronic folk music genre, is an absurd and egregious violation of artistic freedom of expression that seeks to repress an entire generation of musicians and their fans, PEN America said in a statement today. "The state has no place in determining the merits of music, or any other form of art. Free expression belongs to the public," said Julie Trebault, director of Artists at Risk Connection (ARC).
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Burmese Filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi Freed From Prison
February 21, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America today welcomed news that Burmese filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi was released from Insein prison. “We are overjoyed by the news that Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi has been freed from prison today and will be able to rejoin his family, friends, and students. His wrongful conviction in August dealt a harsh blow to freedom of artistic expression, striving to silence one of Myanmar’s most vocal and talented filmmakers and human rights activists," said ARC's director Julie Trebault.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Proposed Travel Ban Expansion Reprehensible Blow to Free Flow of Ideas
January 31, 2020
New York, NY – The Trump administration’s announcement Friday that it will expand its travel ban, placing new visa restrictions on individuals from six additional countries (Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania), is a reprehensible blow to the free flow of culture and ideas, and shows clear disdain for the American tradition of open exchange, PEN America said in a statement today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Ongoing Harassment and Arrest of Cuban Artists
January 31, 2020
New York, NY – For the seventeenth time in six months, Cuban authorities this week arrested and fined writer Jorge Olivera Castillo and human rights activist Nancy Alfaya. " These ruthless attacks are part of an aggravating and deplorable attempt by the Cuban government to muzzle dissent and restrict any speech that is unsanctioned or not aligned with the regime’s political narrative," said Julie Trébault, director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Closure of China's Largest Independent Film Festival Alarming Sign for Free Expression
January 24, 2020
New York, NY – The announcement that China’s largest independent film festival will shut down is an alarming indication of the tightening chokehold the Chinese government has on arts and freedom of expression, PEN America said today. On January 10, the organizers of the China Independent Film Festival (CIFF) announced that the festival would be indefinitely shuttered due to “current… conditions” that make it “impossible to organize a film festival that truly has a purely independent spirit.” The CIFF, which has run for over 17 years, is the largest festival of its kind within China.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Charges Must Be Dropped Against Russian Artist And Activist
January 16, 2020
New York, NY – A Russian artist, theater director, and feminist activist may face up to six years in prison after sharing artwork on social media that promoted body positivity and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Yulia Tsvetkova was fined 50,000 rubles (US$ 780) for disseminating “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors” and faces up to six years in prison for pornography charges. The charges are a reprehensible violation of artistic freedom and part of an on-going attack against LGBTQIA+ activists in Russia, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Shortlisted for an Oscar, Syrian Filmmaker Denied U.S. Travel Visa
January 3, 2020
New York, NY – PEN America today said denying a visa for Syrian filmmaker Feras Fayyad was yet another example of how the Trump administration’s travel ban continues to thwart international cultural exchange. “The denial of Fayyad’s visa shows how the travel ban continues to disrupt and prevent the free flow of artists and ideas across borders, in the process undermining a powerful vehicle for international understanding,” said Julie Trébault, director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Calls for Immediate Release of Chinese Artist Arrested for Supporting Hong Kong Protesters
December 31, 2019
NEW YORK— Chinese authorities arrested artist Yang Licai, likely because of posts he made online in support of Hong Kong protesters. PEN America today said his arrest is part of the government’s ongoing crackdown against artists and activists. Yang was arrested in Shenzhen by police from his hometown Panshan in Liaoning Province on December 11 on charges of inciting disruption. Those charges could land him in prison for up to five years. Police also raided his home and seized his computers, according to Chinese Human Rights Defenders. PEN America calls for his immediate release, and for the Chinese authorities to allow his and other critical voices to be heard.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Demand Cuban Authorities Stop Harassing Cuban Writer and Activist
November 18, 2019
NEW YORK—
Cuban police have surrounded the home of writer Jorge Olivera Castillo and human rights activist Nancy Alfaya for the fourth time in weeks. The couple has reportedly been unable to leave the house for over 72 hours out of fear of arrest.
PEN America calls for the Cuban police to immediately leave the vicinity of Jorge and Nancy’s home and to end the widespread crackdown on freedom of expression throughout the country.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Persecuted Cuban Artist Being Held, His Location Unknown
November 13, 2019
NEW YORK—Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and PEN America are deeply alarmed by the disappearance and presumed detention of independent Cuban multidisciplinary artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. Otero Alcántara, who has vocally mobilized against Decree 349, a 2018 regulation that gives Cuban authorities sweeping powers to regulate creative expression and the cultural sector at large, vanished on Monday after being summoned by state security forces.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
U.S. Denies Visas to Four Middle Eastern Artists Hoping to Attend Their Own Exhibition
November 8, 2019
NEW YORK—Four artists hoping to attend a new exhibition at MoMA PS1 featuring their work were reportedly denied visas to the U.S. by immigration officials. One artist is an Iraqi-born Dutch citizen who had been living in the Netherlands for 35 years, and another is based in Baghdad. According to reports, two more artists were also denied visas under the purview of the Trump administration’s travel ban or due to complications with their asylum status, and countless more did not even attempt to acquire visas because of their countries of origin.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Calls for the Immediate Release of Independent Cuban Activist
October 23, 2019
NEW YORK—As part of a disturbing trend of harassment and intimidation of independent artists and thinkers in Cuba, writer Jorge Olivera Castillo and his wife, social activist Nancy Alfaya, were arrested on Tuesday for the second time in recent weeks.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Cameroonian Rapper Valsero Released after Nearly Nine Months of Detention
October 5, 2019
NEW YORK—Cameroonian rapper Gaston Philippe Abe Abe, better known by his stage name, Valsero, was freed this morning after almost nine months of detention. His release is a moment of celebration for Valsero and his family and a triumph for all those who have fought for his freedom and the freedom of other imprisoned artists, PEN America said today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Says Arrest of Cuban Artists Part of an Ongoing Campaign of Harassment
October 2, 2019
NEW YORK—In yet another display of harassment against independent artists, Cuban police this week again arrested poet and writer Jorge Olivera Castillo and his wife Nancy Alfaya. While both have since been released, the ongoing campaign against them and other artists in Cuba is part of a crackdown on artistic freedom rooted in a new 2018 regulation known as Decree 349, PEN America said in a statement today.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Arrest of Iranian Writer’s Family Members “Deplorable Attempt to Intimidate Her”
September 25, 2019
NEW YORK—Earlier this week, Iranian officials reportedly arrested three relatives of journalist, author, and women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad. PEN America said the arrests of Alireza Alinejad, Hadi Lotfi, and Leila Lotfi are likely retaliatory against Alinejad for her work calling for women’s rights and an alarming and reprehensible attack on free expression.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America calls for charges against pro-democracy activist Valsero to be dropped
September 5, 2019
NEW YORK—The arrest, ongoing detention, and charges against Cameroonian rapper Gaston Serval Abe, known as Valsero, are inexcusable violations of freedom artistic expression, PEN America said in a statement today. Arrested earlier this year in the vicinity of a pro-democracy demonstration, Valsero will appear before a military court Friday and could face the death penalty. He’s charged with rebellion against the state, terrorism, insurrection, inciting public disorder, and propagating false information.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
PEN America Condemns Brutal Homophobic Attack on Belarusian Filmmaker
August 30, 2019
NEW YORK—The recent homophobic attack against a Belarusian filmmaker is a heinous attempt to silence artistic and minority voices, PEN America said in a statement today.
Kolya Kuprich was targeted after he defended several colleagues working on his in-progress documentary, Pussy Boys, about the Minsk’s LGBTQI+ community.
Read PEN America's full statement here.
Burmese Filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi Sentenced to One Year Hard Labor for Posts Critical of Military
August 29, 2019
NEW YORK—A court in Myanmar today sentenced filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi to a year’s hard labor for posts he made on social media that were critical of the military. In a statement, PEN America called the sentence an abhorrent affront to freedom of expression and artistic freedom.
Ko Ko Gyi was sentenced under section 505(a) of the country’s penal code, which criminalizes making, publishing, or sharing “any statement, rumour or report” that might induce any military service member “to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty.”
Read PEN America's statement in full here.
Preserving Controversial San Francisco Murals a Better Solution
August 14, 2019
NEW YORK—A proposed decision by the San Francisco School Board to destroy a series of controversial Depression-era murals at George Washington High School would constitute a serious threat to artistic freedom of expression, but a proposal to cover the murals without destroying them presents a sound alternative, PEN America said in a statement today.
The 1936 Victor Arnautoff murals, entitled “The Life of Washington,” were a project of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration. Recently, the murals sparked controversy after several parents at the school said the work was offensive for its depictions of African-American slaves and a dead Native American. In June, the school board unanimously voted to paint over the murals. Since then, however, a large number of organizations have come out in opposition to the murals’ destruction.
Read PEN America's statement in full here.
Charges Must Be Dropped Against Two Zimbabwean Filmmakers And Two Others Arrested For Film Screening
July 29, 2019
NEW YORK—The decision to charge two Zimbabwean filmmakers, along with two artists, with unlawfully screening a fictional film, The Lord of Kush, is an “unjust act of intimidation” and threat to artistic freedom, PEN America said in a statement today.
Zimbabwean filmmakers Tendai Maduwa and Kudakwashe Bwititi, and Arterial Network Chairman and President Daves Guzha, and director of the Harare creative space Theater in the Park (TITP) Peter Churu were jailed on Sunday and appeared in court on Monday.
Read PEN America's statement in full here.
Prison Sentences Imposed on Turkish Filmmakers Ertuğrul Mavioğlu and Çayan Demirel for Documentary, Bakur
July 23, 2019
NEW YORK—The prison sentences imposed this month on award-winning Turkish documentary filmmakers Ertuğrul Mavioğlu and Çayan Demirel represent a “serious blow” to artistic freedom, and one more effort to silence those who fail to promote views held by President Erdoğan, PEN America said in a statement today.
The two were sentenced to four years and six months in prison on July 18 for their documentary Bakur, which follows the lives of PKK guerilla fighters in Kurdistan during the failed 2013-2014 peace talks.
Read PEN America's statement in full here.
Burmese Filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi to Face Trial on Charges Stemming from Facebook Posts Critical of the Military
July 23, 2019
NEW YORK—The decision to put Burmese filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi on trial for posts on his personal Facebook account that criticized Myanmar’s military is an unacceptable attack on free expression, PEN America said in a statement today.
“The fact that Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi has been targeted for speaking his mind online demonstrates the Myanmar government’s continued disregard for the right to free expression,” said Julie Trébault, Director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America. “This arrest is just one piece of a broader, persistent pattern of cracking down on any form of dissent in Myanmar, and it is clearly intended to send a clear message to other artists, journalists, and human rights activists: critique this administration, and especially the military, at your peril. We call for Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi to be released immediately and unconditionally, and for the Myanmar government to cease its unacceptable attacks on free expression.”
Read PEN America's statement in full here.
Arrest of Chinese Filmmaker Deng Chuanbin Represents the Extreme Lengths of Chinese Authorities to Silence Artistic Voices
May 28, 2019
NEW YORK—The arrest of Chinese filmmaker Deng Chuanbin (also known as Huang Huang) apparently for tweeting a Chinese political meme, represents the extreme steps Chinese authorities will take to silence artistic voices attempting to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Protests, PEN America said today.
Huang, an independent documentary filmmaker living in Sichuan Province, was arrested by Chinese authorities on May 17. That morning, Huang tweeted a Chinese political meme, which referenced the Tiananmen Square protests that took place on June 4, 1989. According to the Chinese Human Rights Defenders and Art Asia Pacific, authorities returned to Huang’s residence and seized several of his belongings after his arrest, including three cell phones, an iPad, laptop, camera, and several memory cards.
Read the full statement by PEN America here.
Independent Artists Under Threat During Havana Biennale
April 16, 2019
NEW YORK—Since the opening of the XIII Havana Biennial on April 12, 2019, several independent Cuban artists have been arrested and have been the targets of constant harassment by the Cuban police. In response to the beginning of the official Biennial and in protest at the Cuban government’s introduction of Decree 349, which formalizes and widens the scope of artistic censorship in Cuba, independent artists have organized alternative cultural events under the title of “Bienal sin 349”. Aware of the potential danger to the artists, ARC, Index on Censorship and PEN International issued a statement in solidarity on Friday, April 12.
On eve of the opening of the Biennial, artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was arrested by Cuban police while performing a piece work involving a footrace with American flags outside his home with two other artists. He was released 72 hours after on Monday, April 15. Artist and activist Amaury Pacheco was arrested and released a few hours later. Pacheco and his wife Iris Ruiz had their house vandalized a few days before. Last week, the artist and writer Coco Fusco was denied entry to Cuba, and poet Katherine Bisquet has stated she and her family have been the targets of increased threats in the past month. All of these artists have been outspoken against Decree 349.
Read more here.
Cuba's Decree 349 Poses Expansive Restrictions on Artistic Freedom, PEN America and Artists at Risk Connection whitepaper warns
March 4th, 2019
NEW YORK—Sounding the alarm on the Cuban
government’s grave new policy with potentially catastrophic effects for
independent artists, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)
issued Art Under Pressure: Decree 349 Restricts Creative Freedom in Cuba today.
Released in the wake of Cuba’s February 24 referendum that recognized private property, but enshrined one-party rule, and a month before the Havana Biennial Art Exhibition, Art Under Pressure examines
the government’s efforts to institutionalize and expand limits on
creative expression by criminalizing unregistered artistic labor,
authorizing censorship, and empowering a new class of state inspectors
to regulate creative expression.
“While Cuba’s vibrant artistic and
cultural scene is known all over the world, so is the country’s
reputation for censoring and retribution for artists who dare to
challenge government orthodoxy,” said Julie Trébault, Director of the
Artists at Risk Connection. “The provisions of Decree 349 are not
unfamiliar to artists who have been forced to work with the state
looming over their shoulders, but this glaring attempt to formalize and
tighten decades-old censorship practices forcefully rebuts the notion
that Cuba is opening up.
Read the whitepaper here.
PEN America Celebrates Release of Turkish Artist, Writer Zehra Doğan
February 25, 2019
NEW YORK— PEN America is celebrating the release of Turkish painter, journalist and feminist activist Zehra Doğan, who was released on February 24 after spending the past 600 days in jail after Turkish courts deemed her journalistic and artistic work to be “terrorist propaganda.”
“We are delighted that Zehra has been released and reunited with family and friends after her unjust imprisonment, which was an appalling affront to free expression,” said Julie Trébault, Director of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) at PEN America. “Art should never be a crime. Doğan is a model of courage for all journalists and artists for standing up against injustice and silence, especially because of her determination to work and create while incarcerated. Many other journalists in Turkey remain behind bars. As we celebrate Zehra’s release, we call for the release of all other Turkish journalists, artists, and activists who are in prison for their journalism or their expression.”
Read more here.
Ugandan artists should not have to seek government approval to make their art
February 11, 2019
NEW YORK—PEN America, Index on Censorship, more than 100 musicians, writers and artists, and members of the British and Ugandan parliament have signed a petition calling on Uganda to drop plans for regulations that include vetting songs, videos and film scripts prior to their release. Musicians, producers, promoters, filmmakers and all other artists would also have to register with the government and obtain a licence that can be revoked for a range of violations.
High-profile signatories to the letter include U2’s Bono, and Adam Clayton, author Wole Soyinka, and Razorlight’s Johnny Borrell. Please contact agasparian@pen.org.
Read the entire petition here.
Dissolution of NGO Racines an Unacceptable Violation of Cultural Rights in Morocco
January 22, 2019
NEW YORK—The dissolution of Morocco cultural group Racines by the Ministry of Interior is an unacceptable violation of cultural rights and democratic principles. “Racines’ sudden dissolution is an unwarranted and unjust attack on a vitally important cultural organization,” said Julie Trebault, PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) Director. “It is inherent in the work of cultural organizations to facilitate dialogue on issues of importance to society….We call on the Moroccan authorities to permit Racines to continue to operate freely and without constraint.”
Read more here.
Disappearance of Photographer Lu Guang a Troubling Attack on Artistic Freedom in China
December 14, 2018
NEW YORK—The disappearance and reported detention of award-winning Chinese photojournalist Lu Guang is a troubling attack on artistic and journalistic freedom. “Unfortunately, Lu’s case is not unique. The Chinese government has a history of disappearing artists who use their practices as a platform to challenge and critique the regime’s policies”, said Julie Trébault, Director of PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection.
Read more here.
Arrest of 11 Cuban Artists an Intolerable Affront to Free Expression
December 5, 2018
NEW YORK—The repeated arrest of 11 Cuban artists, all of whom are active members of a campaign against Decree 349, a new law aimed at restricting independent art and culture, is an intolerable affront to free expression. “This repression is not new, but represents a continuation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture’s policy to intimidate and censor critical and independent artistic voices," said Julie Trébault, Director of the Artists at Risk Connection at PEN America.
Read more here.
Chinese Authorities Razing Ai Weiwei’s Studio Part of Larger Attack on Artistic Expression
August 7, 2018
NEW YORK—The unannounced demolition of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s studio in Beijing is symptomatic of a larger attack on human rights and artistic expression in China. Ai was not notified about the demolition; several of his works were damaged in the studio’s demolition. “Around the world, artist studios and communes are spaces to be cherished, not discarded”, said Julie Trébault, Director of PEN America’s Artists at Risk Connection.
Read more here.
The Arrest of Shahidul Alam, Bangladeshi Writer, Photographer, Activist, An Intolerable Affront to Free Expression
August 6, 2018
NEW YORK– The arrest of award-winning Bangladeshi writer, photographer and activist Shahidul Alam for comments regarding recent student protests in the country is an intolerable affront to free expression. “As a photographer, Alam documents the truth so it may be shared with the world; his work and his voice matter now more than ever, and any attempt to punish him for voicing his opinion represents an unacceptable attack on the free speech of a world-renowned artist and activist,” said Julie Trébault, Director of the Artists at Risk Connection at PEN America.
Read more here.
Three-Year Prison Sentence for Poet Galal El-Behairy is Another Blow for Freedom of Expression in Egypt
July 31, 2018
Poet and lyricist Galal El-Behairy was sentenced to 3 years in prison for his lyrics to the song Balaha, released by exiled musician and activist Ramy Essam, and for his latest book of poetry, The Finest Women on Earth. On May 8, 2018, PEN America joined several PEN Centers, the Perpetuum Mobile Artists at Risk program, Safemuse, and Freemuse in signing an open letter demanding that the Egyptian government drop all charges against El-Behairy and protect the right to freedom of expression in Egypt.
Read more here.
Sentencing of Chinese Political Cartoonist Jiang Yefei and Activist Dong Guangping is the Unjust Result of an Unjust Process
July 27, 2018
NEW YORK—The sentencing of Chinese political cartoonist Jiang Yefei to six-and-a-half years in jail under national security charges is the latest and most serious injustice visited against a person targeted for their political and artistic speech. “Jiang should never have been charged with a crime, he should never have been repatriated against his will, he should never have spent a day in custody, and he should never have been convicted. The same goes for activist Dong Guangping, another political dissident who was forced to return to China to stand trial on absurd charges even after being granted refugee status”, said Summer Lopez, PEN America Senior Director for Free Expression Programs.
Read more here.
Cartoonist Ramón Esono Ebalé Freed from Prison in Equatorial Guinea
March 7, 2018
NAIROBI/ NEW YORK—An Equatorial Guinean court on March 7, 2018, released an artist imprisoned on dubious charges for nearly six months, 18 human rights groups including PEN America said today. The prosecution dropped all charges against Ramón Esono Ebalé, a cartoonist whose work is often critical of the government, at his February 27 trial after the police officer who had accused him of counterfeiting $1,800 of local currency admitted making the accusation based on orders from his superiors.
Read more here.
Threat of Prison Sentence for Two Turkish Filmmakers Marks Another Blow to Free Expression in Turkey
February 8, 2018
NEW YORK —
The arrest and trial of filmmakers Çayan Demirel and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, accused of producing propaganda, is a violation of their free expression and artistic rights and yet another example of the Turkish government’s desire to subvert the judicial process, PEN America said in a statement.
Read more here.
Fordham University Welcomes Writer at Risk in Residence Kanchana Ugbabe with PEN America and Artists at Risk Connection
November 21, 2017
NEW YORK—The Fordham Department of English has welcomed a new colleague, Kanchana Ugbabe of Nigeria, to serve in the newly created position of Writer at Risk in Residence for one year beginning this fall. The pilot position was made possible through the efforts of the Creative Writing program in partnership with Westbeth Artists Housing, ArtistSafety.net, Residency Unlimited, PEN America, and ARC. The residency is the second effort of the New York City Safe Haven Prototype, a multi-organizational artist residency program designed to house, integrate, and nurture artists at risk.
Read more here.
More than 1,000 Attacks on Artists Worldwide in 2016 Highlight Growing Need for Resources and Support
October 10, 2017
NEW YORK—PEN America announced today the launch of the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), an online collaboration of more than 500 global organizations that provide life-saving resources to artists worldwide who face oppression, persecution, arrest, and violence for their creative work.